Carriage for overhead tracks.



J. MATTHEWS, CARRIAGE FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS. APPLlCATlON FILED OCT. $7.19l6.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR J. MATTHEWS. CARRIAGE FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS.

2 SHEETS-5HEET 2.

INVENTOR Jame Mafiizem Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

APPLlCATlON FILED OCT-17.19%.

CARRIAGE FOR OVERHEAD TRACKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application am October 17, 1916. Serial No. 12e,1o9.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES MA'rrHEws, a citizen of the Dominion ofCanada, residing at Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia,Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriagesfor Overhead Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a load transport-- ing carriage of that classwhich is drawn by a hauling line along a track elevated above thesurface of theground, which hauling line also eflects the lifting andlowering of the load to and from the carriage.

My invention consists of improvements directed to the-means whereby theseveral operations of securing the carriage against endwise movement onthe track at any predetermined positions where it may be desired to takeup or deposit a load, the elevation of the load to the carriage andsecuring it thereto, the release of the carriage from the track stop andthe transference of the carriage and its load to the place of deposittoward the other end of the track line, the securing of the carriage tothe track stop at that end against backward movement, the release of theload from the carriage and the lowering of it therefrom, the elevationof the lifting tackle to the carriage and the attachment of it thereto,and the release of the carriage from the track for the return journey,are all automatically performed in proper sequence by the manipulationof the hauling rope.

The means by which these results are accomplished is fully described inthe following specification, reference being made to the drawings bywhich it is accompanied, in which:

Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view to a small scale showingthe application of the carriage on its overhead track.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the carriage with its nearer side plateremoved, and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are side elevations of the hook securing and releasemeans, showing the same in difi'erent stages of the operation of thecarriage.

In these drawings the overhead track, in this case a single wire rope,is represented by 2; 3 represents the terminal support of this trackrope adjacent the donkey engine 4: or other hauling means and 5 thesupport at the outer end of the line toward which the carrier isdesigned to move on the track.

The carriage comprises a'frame 6 of suitable design having sheaves 7grooved to run on the track rope 2.

To the lower part of this frame is con-- nected at 8 the hauling rope 9,which passes around-the sheave of a load block 10 and around a sheave 11mounted in the frame 6 and therefrom to the drum of the hauling enginet, passing thereto over a sheave 12 supported from the underside of astop member 28 to be described later as secured to the track line.

The load is carried from theblock 10 in the hook 13, and in verticalalinement with the hook connection a pin 14: is supported above thesheave of the block, WlllCl'l pin, when the block 10 is drawn up to thecarriage 6, enters into a notched recess 15 in the sides of the carriageand may be secured therein by a hook member 16 mounted on a pin adjacentthe notch. This hook member normally presents an angled shank 17 againstentrance of the pin 14 into the notch engagement with which angled shankwill rotate the hook member on its pin to bring the hook 16 under theentered pin it which effected its'rotation.

The hook member 16 may be locked in this retaining position by a bolt 37which is endwise movable between flanged rollers 36 rotatably mounted inthe side frames 6 of the carriage. The operative end of this bolt isshaped to conform to a concentric curve 39 of the hook member 16 whenthe hook member is in the normal position with its shank 17 inclinedacross the notch. 15 of the side frames, and to prevent the shank 17falling below that position a projection 45 engages the underside of thebolt; but when the hook member is rotated in the manner described to thesustaining position, the end of the hook member is. opposite the end ofthe bolt, stepped in with a shoulder 40 opposite the underside of thebolt 37, which, if the bolt is projected toward the pivot of the hook,will engage the underside of the bolt and prevent the hook rotating torelease the load block. This bolt 37 is endwise moved to lock thehookmember in the sustaining position, as shown in Fig. 3, or withdrawnPatented oats, 1917. I

to permit it to rotate from that position by the following means.

Pivoted at 26 to the front end of the carriage above the track rope 2 isa track-stop catch 27 shaped to automatically engage a projection 28 ona stop secured to the track rope 2 at any desired position where it maybe required to lift or deposit the load, and at the after end of thecarriage, but below the track rope, is pivoted at 30 a simllar catch 29which is counterweighted to fall away from the track rope. This catchmember is designed to engage a collared projection 32 which, as in theother stop, is se cured to the track rope at any position where it maybe desired to lift or deposit the load.

These catch members 27 and 29 are connected to be cooperative one withthe other by a bar 33 connected on each side and preferably outside theside frames 6 to the'catch members at 34 and 35 below their pivots.

The connection of the track-stop catches 27 and 29 to the lock bolt 37by means of the bar 33 and pin 38 serves a double purpose. It enablesmovement of either one or other of the catches 27 or 29 to lock the hookmember 16 at itssustaining position or release it therefrom, but it alsosupports the hook member in the normal position to which it moves whenthe load block is lowered from it and in which the preponderating weightof the shank 17 tends to retain it, and it prevents movement of eithercatch 27 or 29 to free itself from the position of engagement on itstrack-stop. These features will be better understood from thedescription of the operation of the carriage which will be given later.

Secured on a pin 21 between the side frames 6 of the carriage is a checkpawl 20, the position and length of which are such that it may be movedto engage a shoulder 18 on the end of the shank 17 of the hook memberwhen the hook 16 is in the position sustaining the load block 10,-and tosupport it in that position. This pawl 20 is counterweighted at 22 tonormally rest clear of the path of the shank 17 of the hook memer on astop pin 46 secured between the side frames. Pivoted at 24 above thelevel of the pivot 21 of the pawl 20 is a pawl guard 25 which iscounterweighted to maintain the guard against the acting face of thesustaining pawl 20. The counterweight of, this pawl guard is preventedfrom overturning by one of the stay bolts 50 which secure the sideframes of the carriage together. Owing to the proximity of this guard 25to the track rope 2 the shank of 1t projects from one side only of itspivot ub as no sensible strain is imposed on it. Similarly thecounterweight 22 is opened out to clear the track rope.

Pivotally mounted at 41 on the catch member 27 adjacent the connection34 of the rod 33 is a trigger member 42, which is angled forward fromits pivot beyond the inner face of the catch and is designed to bearagainst that face when it contacts with the track rope stop projection28. This trigger member is stirrup-shaped to clear the track rope 2 andon one side is'produced downward as at 43, which produced end hangssubstantially perpendicular. The produced end 43 is connected by aflexible line 19 to the end of a lever 23 secured on and projectingdownward from the pin 21 of the sustaining pawl 20, a lightcoil spring24 being introduced in the connection. No tension is on this spring 24until the trigger 42 is pressed home when the tension is sufficient tobring the retaining pawl 20 into a position that will engage the end 18of the hook member shank.

In describing the operation of the. carriage it is assumed to be at thefarther end of the track rope 2 and secured against endwise movementthereon by engagement of the. counterweighted catch 29 with the collarprojection 32 of the stop secured on the track rope, the catch member 29being held up to its work by engagement of the end of the bolt 37 withthe concentric portion 39 of the hook member, which is in its normal orrelease position with its shank l7 angled across the notch 15, the loadcarrying block 10 with its load connected ready for elevation andtransference to the other end of the line. When a hauling effort isimposed on the hauling rope 9, which eiiort is doubled to lift the load,the block 10v with its load is lifted toward the carriage andthe pin 14of the block 10 enters the notch 15 of the side plates and in so doingengages the face 17 of the shank of the hook member 16 and rotates thathook to secure the pin to the carriage. Rotation of the hook membercarries the concentric portion 39 of it past the end of the bolt 37until the shouldere'd face 40 is below the level of the underside of thebolt, when the catch member being'unsupported by the bolt will, underthe pull of the hauling rope and because the engaging face of the catchis above the level of the pivot of the same, move down and free itselffrom engagement with the collared projection 32 of the track stop andthe downward movement of this catch 29 to its normal position away fromthe track rope, edects the locking of the hook member 16 in the positionthat the load block 10 is sustained directly by the hook to the carriageinstead of depending from the hauling rope. This bar 33 does not effectany change in the position of the pawl 20, as the slight movementlmposed on the trigger pin 41 is permitted within the slack of theconnection between 43 and 23.

The'hauling effort on the rope 9 which has effected the lift of the loadto the carriage and the consequent release of the carriage from the stopcollar 32 is now free to draw the carriage along the track rope 2 towardthe other end. As it approaches the stop projection 28 adjacent this endof the line,

movement of the connecting the front end of the catch 27 being liftedclear of the stop, the trigger 42 engages the outer face of the stop 28and presses that trigger against the inner face of the catch, whichengagement imposes a tension on the spring 24 sufiicient to throw thepawl 20 into a position where it would engage the end 18 of the hookmember shank but for the intervention of the guard 25. Simultaneouslythe front end of the catch 27 is pulled down to engage the stop 28 andsecure the carriage to it against endwise movement on the track line andmoves the connecting bar 33 to withdraw the end of the bolt 37 fromengagement with the shoulder 40 of the hook member, which being nolonger retained, is free to turn and release the pin 14: of the loadblock 10.

It is during this movement that the guard exercises its most importantand essential function as the shank of the hook before the bolt iswithdrawn is in a position where the pawl 20 might be thrown intosustaining engagement with the hook shank end 18, but the guard 25 isinterposed between the shank end 18 and the end of the pawl 20 toprevent such engagement at this time, and being interposed, when thebolt is withdrawn, the hook is free to overturn. The load may then belowered to the ground by unwinding the hauling rope 9 from its drum.

During this lowering of the load the carriage is retained againstbackward move ment down the track rope 2 by the outer engaging face ofthe catch member 27 which is held up to its work by the lock bolt 37against the end of which the concentric face 39 of the released hookmember is opposite.

It will be noted that while the hook mem her is in the inverted orrelease position at this stage of the operation, as shown in Fig. 4, andits shank end 18 is clear of the pawl guard 25 and pawl 20, the pawl 20under the tension imposed on the spring 24, as before described. willmove to a position where it will engage and retain the shoulder 18 ofthe shank end when the same is lifted up to hook the pin 14 of the loadblock to the carriage. In moving to this engaging position the end ofthe pawl 20 will carry the lower end of the guard 25 away from theadjacent or engaging face of the pawl 20, as shown in Fig. 4.

WVhen it is required to return the carriage to the other end of the lineeither as a return empty or with a load for the other end, the rotationof the hauling drum 9 is reversed to haul in the line 9 by which theblock 10 with or without a load is lifted up to the carriage, and thepin 14 on entering the notch 15 engages the inclined face 17 of theshank of the hook member and moves it up to a position where the end ofthe pawl 20 will engage and hold the shoulder 18 on the end of theshank, as shown in Fig. 5. advance of the shoulder during this movement,has a rounded projection 48 that is designed to enter under the outerend of the guard 25 and vance of the shank that it may not interferewith the engagement of the pawl 20 with it, shown by dot and dash linesin Fig. 4.

The load block 10 is now sustained by the hook 16 direct to the carriage6 and is ready for movement to the other end of the track. If theincline of the track is such that the carriage will return by gravity tothe other end the hauling rope will simply require to be paid out fromits winding drum, but if, as is frequently the case, the track'line hasnot suflicient declination, or is of such length that it hasconsiderable sag that will require to be surmounted at the other end,then the carriage may require to be drawn back by a haul-back lineconnected to the after end of the carriage. This feature is, however, ofno material moment to the operation. It will be assumed in this casethat the car will fall to the other end of the track by gravity.

The rotation. of the hook member which secured the load block hasbrought the engaging shoulder 40 below the level of the underside of thebolt 37, so that no obstruction is imposed to endwise locking movementof the bolt when any strain is imposed that tends to move the bolt, forit will be noted that the hook member is now sustained by the pawl 20and not by the shoulder 4:0, as in the ingoing movement of the carriage.When the tension on the hauling rope is' relaxed to permit the carriageto run back along the track the outer engaging end of the catch member27 on the stop member 28 below the pivot 26 of that catch, the catchmoves up being unsupported by the latch bolt 37 as explained, and as itmoves up it draws the latch bolt 37 into a position where it will engagethe shoulder 40, and simultaneously a pin 49 secured between theconnecting bars 33 engages the counterweight 22 and draws the pawl 20from engagement with the end 18 of the hook member shank, depriving itof the support of the pawl after substituting the shoulder 40 for thissupport.

It should be understood that the pawl 20 is a temporary means to securethe hook 16 while the hauling line is being relaxed to effect release ofthe catch 27 and backward movement of the carriage with the consequentmovement of the lock bolt 37 to lock the hook; for while tension must bemaintained on the hauling rope to hold the load block 10 in position inthe notch 15 of the carriage to which it has been lifted and with thehook 16 inverted to retain it there, the bolt 37 cannot be moved to lockthe hook The end of the shank which is in I move that guard in adber 16,as the in this position unless the tension on the hauling line isrelaxed, and if relaxed before the hook is locked the load block willagain fall away from the carriage and its hook, so that the pawl 20 isused to temporarily lock the hook while the hauling bus is relaxed torelease the carriage from the stop 28 and permit it to return, by whichrelease the hook is locked by the bolt 37. At the other end of the linethis condition necessitating the use of the pawl 20 does not exist asthe lifting of the load, the release of the carriage from its stop 32,and the movement of the carriage along the track are all performed witha taut hauling line.

It must be noted that the outer end of the catch member 29 was withdrawnfrom the track rope simultaneously with the lifting of the outer end ofthe catch member 27, the catch members being connected together by thebar 33; so that when the carriage reaches the stop 32 at the farther endof the track that stop engages the inner face of the catch member 29 andmoves it up against the bum per stop pin 47 which receives the inertiaoi the carriage and relieves the mechanism of the shock, while the catchmember 29 is moved into retaining engagement with the stop This movementof the catch 29 simultaneously withdraws the bolt 37 from engagementwith the shoulder 40 of the hook member and leaves the load block 10free to be lowered to the ground to deposit or to receive a load.

As the hook member 16 turns to bring its shank face 17 to its normalposition the guard 25 is free to automatically resume its normalposition in engagement with the face of the pawl 20.

This completes the cycle of operation which though somewhat complicatedin de scription and apparently involved beyond what might be thoughtnecessary will on investigation be found to be a simple and etfcc tivein accomplishing the several objects desired.

I am aware that prior to this invention numerous devices have beenprovided having cooperative action between the means or securing thecarriage against endwise movement on the track whereby when the load isreleased from the carriage, the carriage is released from the tracksecuring means so that it is free to move endwise.

It will be noted that in the invention which is the subject of thisapplication, release of the carriage from either track stop iscontrolled by movement of the hook memsame is rotated by movement of theload block into the position of attachment; the concentric portion 39 ofthe hook member preventing movement of the bolt 37 inward and thereforemovement of the catch members 27 and 29 to effect release of thecarriage until the load is lifted to rotate the hook member; but whenthe hook is rotated by movement 01' the load into the position ofsuspension the shoulder the carriage securing catches from their trackattachments; and conversely the carriage securing catches are free torelease only when the my knowledge new, as also is the supplementarypawl and its'guard and operative connection by which I am enabled toautomaticall y release the carriage from the track at one end withoutreleasing the load.

Nor am I aware of any carriage of this class that will automaticallyperform the cycle of operation set forth in the preamble of thisspecification.

Having now particularly described my invcntion, I hereby declare thatwhat I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is:

1. A carriage for an elevated track, comprising the combination with asuitable frame provided with sheaves to run on the track and a haulingrope by which the load may be elevated to the carriage and the carriagedrawn along the track in one direction, of means at each end of thecarriage for securing it to a stop at any predetermined positions on.the track, means for directly connecting the load bearing block to thecarriage when lifted into engagement therewith, means cooperative withthe securing means of the carriage to either track stop for securing thesaid load connecting means, supplementary means cooperative withengagement of the carriage with the track stop at one end of the trackfor securing said lead conncctingmeans, and means cooperative withrelease of the carriage from the same end of the track for releasingsaid supplementary securing means.

2. A carriage for an elevated track, comprising the combination with asuitable frame provided with sheaves to run on the track and a haulingrope by which the load may be elevated to the carriage and the carriagedrawn along the track in one direc tion, of means at each end of thecarriage for securing it to a stop on the track at any predeterminedpositions. means for directly connecting the load bearing block to thecarriage when lifted into engagement therewith, means cooperative withthe securing means of the carriage to for securing the said loadconnecting means, supplementary means cooperative with enload issecured, are Within either track stop mains? gagement of the carriagewith the track stop at one end of the track for securing said loadconnecting means, means preventing engagement of said supplementarysecuring means, means cooperative with the contact of the carriage withthe track stop at one end of the track for moving said preventing meansto a position whereby the lifting of the load may withdraw theprevention and permit the supplementary securing means to perform itsfunction, and means cooperative with release of the car riage from thetrack stop at one end of the track for withdrawing the supplementarysecuring means.

3. A carriage for an elevated track, comprising the combination with asuitable frame provided with sheaves to run on the track and a haulingrope by which the load may be elevated to the carriage and the carriagedrawn in one direction along the track, of means at each end of thecarriage for securing it to the track at any predetermined positions, ahook member pivotally' mounted on the carriage to retain the loadbearing hook thereto when the same is drawn up into engagement with itbut unstable in such position until locked, a lock bolt by which thehook member may be sceured to sustain the load bearing hook, meansdirectly connecting together the track securing means at each end of thecarriage that they may be cooperative, and means connecting the trackseeuring connection to the hook lock that the hook may be looked as thecarriage is released from the track stop.

4. A carriage for an overhead track, comprising the combination with asuitable frame provided with sheaves to run on the track and a haulingrope by which the load may be elevated to the carriage and the carriagedrawn along the track in one direc tion, of means at each end of thecarriage for securing it to the track at any predetermined positions, ahook for connecting the load bearing block to the carriage when hit edinto engagement therewith, a lock bolt for securing the hook againstrelease of the load block, amcans supplementary to the bolt for securingthe hook against release, means for retaining said supplementarysecuring means clear of retaining engagement with the hook member, meanscooperative with the carriage attaching means on the track for movingthe supplementary securing means into a position where it will engagethe hook member, means for connecting the carriage securing means ateach end of the carriage together, and means for connecting the hookmember lock bolt to said connecting means.

5. A carriage for an elevated track, comprising the eombination with asuitable frame provided with wheels to run on the track and a haulingrope by which the load may be elevated to the carriage and the carriagedrawn along the track in one direclion, of a catch member pivotallymounted on each end of the carriage and adapted to secure the carriageto a stop member adjust-ably secured on the track at each limit of thedesired movement thereon, said catch members being directly connectedtogether to move in unison to and from the track, a hook memberpivotally mounted to the underside of the carriage and counterweightedto be normally in the release position but adapted to be moved intoposition to secure the load when the same is lifted into engagement withit, a lock bolt adapted to secure the hook in position securing the loadto the carriage, said lock bolt directly connected to the track catchmembers to lock the hook when they are disengaged from the track stops,a supplementary hook member securing means, means for normallymaintaining said securing means clear of the hook member, meansoperative by movement of the carriage against the track stop membertoward which the carriage is drawn by the hauling rope for moving thesupplementary hook engaging member into a position where it will engageand secure the hook member, a guard member interposed between thesupplementary hook securing member and the hook member that will preventthe hook member engaging the hook securing member when moved downwardpast it but adapted to be moved from such guard position when the hookmember is moved upward and will permit engagement of the supplementarysecuring means with the hook member to secure the hook, and meanscooperative with movement of the lock bolt to the locked position forwithdrawing the supplementary hook securing means.

6. A carriage for an elevated track, comprising the combination with asuitable frame provided with wheels to run on the track and a haulingrope by which the load may be elevated to the carriage and the carriagedrawn along the track in one direction, of means at each end of thecarriage for securing it to the track at any predetern'iined positions,a hook member pivotally mounted to the underside of the carriage, saidhook member having a shank that will. normally retain the hook in itsdisengaged position but that will be engaged by the load sustainingmeans when the same is lifted to the-carriage and will rotate the hookto support the load, a pawl adapted to engage and retain the hook memberwith the hook in the load sustaining position, means for normallysustaining that pawl clear of engagement with the hook member, meanscooperative with the carriage attaching means on the track for movingthe pawl into a position where it will engage the hook memher, a pawlguard interposed between the pawl and the hook member preventingengagement of the hook member with the pawl when moved downward past itbut adapted to encounter the end of the hook member when the same ismoved upward and be moved out of contact with the pawl to permit thepawl to engage and secure the hook member.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with thetrack rope and the stops secured to the track rope at intervals, of aframe having sheaves for running on the track rope, a hauling rope oneend of which is connected to the frame, a sheave on the frame over whichsaid hauling rope passes, a fall block around which said hauling ropepasses before it passes over said last named sheave, a latchon the rearof the carriage for engaging the other track stop, a connecting barbetween said latches for effecting simultaneous movements of the same,said carriage having a front and a hack slotted opening, a pin on saidbar projerted through said front slotted opening, a lock bolt mounted onthe carriage, a pin connccting said lock bolt with said connecting barand passing through saidrear slotted opening of the carriage, acounterweighted pawl pivoted on said carriage and cooperating with saidfirst mentioned pin, a trigger member pivoted on said carriage adjacentto the front track stop catch and cooperatively connected with saidcheck pawl, a pawl guard pivoted on said carriage and cooperating withsaid check pawl, said carriage having a notch, a hook memberpivotedvon'said carriage adjacent to said notch and cooperative withsaid sheave block, said lock bar, with said check pawl and with saidpawl guard all being arranged substantially as shown and for thepurposes described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JAMES MATTHEWS.

